Specially-abled teen’s plea inspires spring restoration in Bijbehara

Anantnag, May 26: A heartfelt video posted by a 13-year-old specially- abled boy from Jablipora village in Bijbehara has sparked a major cleanup effort of a once-pristine spring choked by weeds and garbage.

Furqan, a student at the Zeba Aapa Institute Bijbehara, a school for children with disabilities, uploaded a video to social media last week expressing concern over the deteriorating condition of the local spring.

In his message, he tagged local legislator Dr Bashir Ahmad Veeri, urging authorities to take action.

Moved by the young boy’s appeal, Veeri swiftly raised the matter with the Rural Development Department and the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department. He also sought the help of the Nigeen Lake Conservation Organization (NELCO), a volunteer group known for restoring water bodies in Kashmir.

On Monday, NELCO’s team arrived in Jablipora and began work on rejuvenating the spring, which had been overrun by azolla and waste, rendering the water unfit for use. “I have watched this spring deteriorate day by day,” Furqan said. “I just wanted it to be restored to its past glory.” Veeri credited Furqan for drawing attention to the issue. “It was his video that compelled me to take immediate action,” Veeri said. He said while government schemes like MGNREGA cover restoration work, departments like PHE and Irrigation often lack the specialized technical expertise needed for delicate spring rejuvenation.”

NELCO Chairman Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo said the MLA personally visited his office after watching Furqan’s video. “There are nearly 100 springs in the Bijbehara area, and many are in a similar state,” Wangnoo said. “After we complete this restoration, we plan to train local residents in our techniques so they can revive the remaining springs themselves.”